Marty Schreiber proves to his son John, a Mayfield ace, that Schreiber family name is about more than being an undersized pitcher

MAYFIELD, Ohio -- Marty Schreiber heard the words come from his son's mouth, the words no former athlete really ever wants to hear.

"Dad, your name is never in the paper anymore," John Schreiber said.

John and Marty like to rib each other about baseball. The father and son are so similar, it makes them laugh to talk about it. Marty was a lefthanded pitcher many years ago for Brush. In 1983, he signed with the Atlanta Braves and played six years in the minors with the Durham Bulls. Marty's son John is a southpaw for Mayfield. He's a Kent State recruit.

"We're the same," Marty said of his son and him. "Skinny lefty. I was skinny, but not anymore. He's exactly like me. Actually, he's a little better."

John's name is in the paper a lot lately. He was the first pitcher in Northeast Ohio this season to pitch a no-hitter. He leads Mayfield baseball and he keeps his eye out for things about his dad's baseball career.

Since age 5, John and Marty have been doing baseball. While other kids were going to pitching lessons, Marty guided John daily, playing catch and calling out strategy while the two were watching baseball games.

"Growing up," John said, "baseball, that's what it was all about and that's still how it is. Baseball make us who we are, without baseball, I don't know what I'd be like."

Neither of Marty's two older sons, Bob and Scott, decided to really take baseball seriously. Both stopped playing by 10th grade.

"Really John is the only one that really pushed it and loved it," Marty said of his youngest of five children.

Marty said he didn't force the sport on any of his sons. John played basketball and even hockey, until he quit this season to focus on baseball.

"Which is fine," Marty said. "It made for a long winter without any hockey, though."

Then came last week, when for the second straight weekend, the Northeast Ohio Media Group published a list of former baseball players in the area that were considered among current coaches to be the best of Northeast Ohio.

Years ago, John read an article about Marty in which they called him a "flame thrower."

"He was only throwing 79," John said.

So when he saw the articles online with no mention of his flame-throwing father, he sent him an email.

"He is always saying stuff about me if some other kid is doing well and I'm not on the page," John said. "I figured I saw familiar names. I didn't see him on there so I joked with him."

Where are you on this list, flame thrower?

Those eight words prompted a fire to relight in Marty Schreiber. He'd teach his son that he could still get his name out there.

Marty spoke of the tape from 1985 with a piece that one of his friends, a reporter from Channel 8, did on him. That's the tape John often watches if he wants to see what his dad used to be like. Then there's the stories of playing with guys like Andre Thomas, who went on to be a shortstop with the Braves, and Leo Mazzone, who earned a reputation as one of the best pitching coaches after developing Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.

There's the former roommates like Paul Assenmacher and Urban Meyer. Yes that Urban Meyer.

"He was my roommate in rookie ball," Marty said. "He was going to go to Cleveland State but he got released and played football at Cincinnati. Besides that, I gave up a couple home runs to Cecil Fielder."

To help his son understand his life before John was born, Marty tells him to watch the movie "Bull Durham" starring Kevin Costner.

"It's his favorite movie now," Marty said.

John dissects video today to help him with his mental game. Marty still calls out what a pitcher is going to do on TV to help John learn.

"I'm still learning," John said. "We're so little we can't really overpower them. Some pitchers right now are getting away with overpowering hitters."

At 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, John was told by his doctor that he's done growing.

"I hope she's lying," he said.

Even his grandpa, who comes to watch him pitch regularly, laughs when John is on the mound because he sees the exact replica of a lefty in a Brush uniform.

The father and son say they think the same thing. When Marty used to throw John pitches in rec league and little league travel ball, they'd always be thinking at the same time the exact same pitch.

That doesn't always work to their advantage though.

"If I give up a hit, I'm blaming him and he's blaming me," John said.

Right now, where John is at, a star pitcher for his team and a commit to a college, that's the goal for being the undersized Schreiber. John never thought with his size that college would even be possible.

"My dad would always have my back," John said. "He knew it was possible for me to play at the next level. He'd say, 'Just throw your game.'"

John will continue to play until he gets shut down or someone tells him he can't play anymore, but he's got Schreiber blood pumping his baseball-loving heart.

Plus, Marty did make it to the minors and still can get his name in the paper.

So is there anything else John thinks he'd like people to know about him and his dad, their similarities and their competitive spirit now that his dad rediscovered the spotlight?

"No," John said, slightly laughing. "I can't say anything mean about him in the paper."

Contact high school sports reporter Stephanie Kuzydym by email (skuzydym@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@stephkuzy). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

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